Turquoise

Issue 12: Turquoise

Turquoise is a mix of blues and greens, taking in the calming nature of both colours. What is more peaceful than looking at a still turquoise ocean? It’s not surprising, therefore, that turquoise variants are associated with water – aqua and aquamarine being two examples. While turquoise tends to be associated with femininity in symbolism, its close relative, teal, tends to be regarded as more masculine, yet both colours are often interchanged.

Word seems to have spread across the ocean this month with lots of entries from American poets and prose writers. This has brought an interesting and different dimension to our entries but also makes our task to pick one poem and prose piece even more difficult.

Our poem of the month is Santorini Airport, Dusk by Heather Bryant. Heather’s poem reminds me of Louise Glück’s, A Village Life, a quiet but beautiful account of a simple trip, almost prosaic in its form and delivery but gorgeously poetic to the very last word. Read it here >>

Our sort story is The Funambulist by Ellen Davis. This colourful and turquoise piece has all the makings of a novel but manages to pack in a lifetime into the two pages. It progresses from a young child and their memories of a circus visit. Each sentence builds up to the almost inevitable sad and shock of an end. The narrator must feel as naive and hurt as the reader does at her experience. A good and moving piece of fiction linking well with the theme. Read it here >>